Laurillard conversational framework

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Contents

1 Definition

Laurillard (1993,2002) claims that there are four main aspects of the teaching-learning process and that different educational media can be analyzed (and used) in terms of these dimensions.

This framework can be considered both learning theory and a practical framework for designing educational environments. Higher education, according to Laurrillard is much about acquiring "ways of seeing the world". Associated pedagogic strategy has to consider different forms of communication and associated mental activities: Discussion, adaptation, interaction, reflection.

Each (larger) pedagogical scenario should include all four kinds of activities (communication forms) that happend in 8 kinds of "flows" in the model.

(1) Discussion

between the teacher and the learner

Teachers' and learners' conception should be mututally accessible

Both should agree on learning objectives

(2) Adaptation

of the learners actions and of the teacher's constructed environment.

Teacher must adapt objectives with regards to existing conceptions

Learners must integrate feedback and link it to his own conceptions

(3) Interaction

between the learner and the environment defined by the teacher

Teacher must "adapt to world", i.e. create an environment adapted to the learning task given to the learner

Teacher must focus on support for task and give appropriate feedback to the learner.

(4) Reflection

of the learner's performance by both teacher and learner

Teacher should support the learner to revise his conceptions and to adapt the task to learning needs

Learners should reflect with all stages of the learning process (initial concepts, tasks, objectives, feedback, ...)

3 Media and activities

According to Philipps (1988), “ Laurillard argues that the only use of technology which can meet these aims is the "multimedia tutorial simulation", characterised in terms of guided discovery learning. Her schema is based on forming an information rich environment in which the student has control in discovering knowledge, but the discovery is supported and scaffolded by extra guidance functions (Laurillard, 1993) which provide support and feedback for subsequent learning. These functions are analogous to the coaching and scaffolding at critical times proposed in the Situated Cognition Theory.”

Laurillard argues that different media forms have different affordances, i.e. provide a different level of support for various kinds learning experiences. She identifies five media forms: narrative, interactive, communicative, adaptive and productive. According to Conole and Fill (2005),
“ Narrative media tell or show the learner something (e.g. text, image). Interactive media respond in a limited way to what the learner does (e.g. search engines, multiple choice tests, simple models). Communicative media facilitate exchanges between people (e.g. email, discussion forum). Adaptive media are changed by what the learner does (e.g. some simulations, virtual worlds). Productive media allow the learner to produce something (e.g. word processor, spreadsheet).”

Philipps, Rob, (1998), Models of learning appropriate to educational applications of information technology, Paper presented at the 1998 Teaching and Learning Forum, held at the University of Western Australia. HTML, retrieved, 17:17, 15 September 2006 (MEST).